St. Mary’s Catholic Church – New Trier

Earlier this summer I took a drive to Red Wing, Minnesota, along HWY 61. Along the drive, I went through a very small town called New Trier, Minnesota. This Beaux Arts designed building was finished in 1909 as the St Mary Catholic Church. The paint is so bright that you cannot miss it as you drive by, and the fact that it sits on a hill makes the church appear like it is looking over the community. It is included on the National Register of Historic Places.

The hill is actually called Mary Hill. The community of New Trier was founded by Catholic German immigrants and named after their hometown Trier in Germany. The first church was built in 1856, being a small log building. Eight years later it was replaced by a stone structure. The current church was designed by George J. Ries, who is better know to Saint Paul as the architect for Saint Agnes church on Lafond Avenue.

Leave a Reply